Grand Canyon Railway

[amtrakmichigan]

Have any of you ever taken the Grand Canyon Railway in the past? If so how do you rate their service / hotels etc.. Thinking about a trip there this fall and would like your opinions please. I would get there via The Southwest Chief to Williams Jct., Az. from Chicago.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

To answer your question, no, I have not ridden it. But I do recommend the trip. When I went, it was before this tourist railroad had begun, or been revived. Amtrak provided a package deal which included a motel in Flagstaff(after evening arrival on westbound Chief) and charter bus to the Canyon and back to meet the next night's Chief westbound. I did fly over the Canyon while there. Great trip.

Years ago the Santa Fe Railroad had a set-out sleeper from the Super Chief, which did exactly what I described above, sans the hotel(you slept in the traincar) and the bus. A connecting regular train(not a tourist train) took that sleeper to the canyon that next morning, then returning that night and hooked the sleeper back on to the Super Chief.

So, every night when the w.b. Super Chief would arrvie, two things would happen, 1, a sleeper was detached which would spend the night in Flagstaff, go to the canyon the next day, etc, and be put back on the following night, and, 2. a sleeper was re-attached which had just done the same thing from the night before and the day just ended.

Anyway, there is NOTHING like the Grand Canyon so have a great trip and I am sure the tourist railroad will be fine and fun.

Tell us about it!

 

[haolerider]

Call 800-321-8684 for an Amtrak Vacations brochure. Page 27 has a full package, which includes the Grand Canyon Railroad, plus choices of hotels and available options.

 

[RandyJay]

It's been a good ten years ago when I rode the GCR - so any comments I make are likely out of date or in error due to my memory alone!

I do recall it being a positive experience however, no glitches, etc. Diesel power when I rode (slightly dissapointed there). There is a hotel right next to the Williams station, can't vouch for it as we drove up from Phoenix, but it would certainly be convienient for overnighting. By all means the high point is the Canyon itself, so plan to stay at least one night up there if you go. We stayed at the Maswick Lodge, nothing fancy but reasonable in price. In fact I think the whole thing was a package deal with the GCR. Check out

www.thetrain.com

By all means go for it - if you have not seen the Grand Canyon before, plan to be impressed!

 

[MrFSS]

My wife and I rode it about 6 years ago. We didn't stay at the local hotel and there isn't much else in Williams other than the train. I was able to get us in the dome car on the way up and the observation/lounge car on the way back. Both had all the drinks and snacks you could want. Very good service from the staff, too. On the way back a bunch of "masked men" rode up on horses and boarded and tried to "rob" us before the sheriff took care of them.

There was also a wandering guitar playing singer who, in my opinion. detracted from the ride. He wanted everyone to pay attention to him rather than enjoy the scenery and ride.

The dome was neat and from the obs car you could go out on the back platform for pictures.

I think the GCRR has a package deal for two nights in the hotel and the ride to the canyon, etc. They have a website, too, I think.

Enjoy!

 

[Guest_esorami]

we took the grand canyon train and thoroughly enjoyed it all. the hotel rooms were nice, clean and the staff very helpful. we liked it so well that we gave our adult kids tickets for christmas and they loved it. they feed u well. we finally turned down a meal that was included in the pkg because they feed u everywhere u go. great scenery; and the canyon is just spectacular. that was 4 yrs ago.

http://www.thetrain.com/index.cfm

 

[kjkober]

Just did it last month.

It was great. Off peak season they use Diesels but apparently they use steam during the summer.

The cowboy show is really lame, but part of the experience.

Do not order the trip through Amtrak Vacations...you'll overpay.

Instead call 1-800-the-train and arrange your entire experience from when you get off the SouthWest Chief until you get back on it.

It is imperitive that you spend one overnight at the Canyon. Otherwise you have 3 hours there and that is not enough. Unless you hike into the canyon a bit (I recommend South Kaibab Trail) you will not even scratch the surface of respect for the thing. The Maswick Lodge is their partner hotel and it is nice.

Their Hotel at Williams Junction is quite nice and a fine choice.

The Hotel handles your train, the luggage transfers to the hotels and your transportation from Amtrak and back.

Take this trip. It is great!

 

[amtrakmichigan]

Thanks for all the input ! I was going to travel there this fall. However sleeper prices on the days that I can travel this fall are out of line. $353 for a standard each way and either $850 or a little over $1,000 (depending on the day of travel) for a deluxe. The $353 isn't too bad, but be a little crampt for the 2 of us for that long. So I will wait a plan this trip when I can get rock bottom prices on a deluxe room.

Thanks again for the info !

 

[battalion51]

Jamie, I don't know that the "rock bottom" prices are much lower than what you are seeing now. While I'm no expert on fares for sleepers on the Chief I do know that the lowest Deluxe rate is usually double that of the Standard room. So you could still be looking at dropping a good $700 for the Deluxe Room as opposed to the $353 for the Standard. I would take that $353 in a heartbeat, and when yo get on board let your attendant know you'd like to upgrade to the larger room should it become available en route. If you're upfront and let the crew know as soon as you get on board, not only will you get the larger room you want you'll also open up a Standard room for the folks in Coach who might want it. But, then again it might not become available and you'll be "stuck" in the Standard room. I personally feel like the Standard room is more than enough for two people, my Mom and I have done it a few times, and while it's no room at the Ritz, it's fine for our needs. We'll be doing a broken two day trip between the Sunnyset and City of New Orleans and I think it'll be fine for our purposes. (Also keep in mind that we're by no means small, my Mom is 5'7" and I'm 6'2".)

 

[amtrakmichigan]

Battalion,

Thanks for the input, but the sleepers can be purchased for much less. I punched in a date out of the top of my head (march 25). A deluxe room can be purchased for $423 and a standard for $208. A standard room is usually fine on a short to medium size trip for my friend and I, but for that length of time it might be better going deluxe. My buddy is somewhat physically disabled and can't climb to the top bunk. Myself being 6'2 and 255 the small upper bed in a standard room is a little cramped for me but not impossible because of the low ceiling. Besides I think we will wait until my wife and daughter can go too. Then maybe we can get 1 deluxe and 1 standard room for the 4 of us.